Combined book and easel structures



Oct. 5, 1965 J. SLOVES 3,210,094

COMBINED BOOK AND EASEL STRUCTURES Filed March 12, 1962 INVENTOR.

A i I E Jtqcgg SLOVES A TTOQNEY United States Patent 3,210,094 COMBINEDBOOK AND EASEL STRUCTURES Jacob Sloves, Forest Hills, N.Y., assignor toSloves Mechanical Binding Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporationof New York Filed Mar. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 179,098 1 Claim. '(Cl. 28133)The present invention relates generally to display books, catalogues andthe like for the effective presentation of a text to an audience, andmore particularly to a book incorporating a retractable easel whichautomatically erects itself when the book is inclined for viewing.

In modern sales techniques, use is often made of books or cataloguescontaining illustrations of models and parts, data sheets and otherpromotional literature. These books are carried by the salesrepresentative, and in the course of a sales presentation, the pages areturned to display pertinent material to the prospect. To facilitate suchpresentations it is usually necessary to incline the book toward theviewer, otherwise if the book lies flat on the table the text isdiflicult to see.

While book stands or easels would be useful for this purpose, theycannot conveniently be carried by sales personnel already burdened withsamples and other paraphernalia. On the other hand should a salesman ata conference seek to improvise an easel by borrowing ofiice items in anattempt to prop up his book, this may have a disturbing effect on thepresentation.

Accordingly, it is the main object of this invention to provide adisplay book or other multiple-page devices which incorporates aself-erecting easel, such that when the book is raised to a viewingposition, the easel automatically falls into place to maintain thedesired position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined book andeasel structure of the above-described type which requires no skillwhatever either to erect or retract the easel, the structure having theappearance of an ordinary book. An important advantage of the inventionis that the user need carry no auxiliary equipment and the book maybeopened and raised by two simple motions to render the easel operative.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and wellconstructed book having a self-erecting easel of the above-describedtype, which book may be fabricate-Al and sold at relatively low cost.

Briefly stated, these objects are accomplished by a book having a coverassembly in the form of a folder providing an outer cover and anidentical inner or false cover to which the pages are bound. Lyingbetween the outer and inner covers and hingedly attached to the latterare flaps which are so arranged that when the inner cover is lifted,while the outer cover lies on the table, the flaps are erected byresilient tapes and effectively act as struts to maintain the innercover and the pages thereon at an inclined viewing position. To retractthe flaps, they are simply pushed in, the flaps thereby being sandwichedbetween the inner and outer cover.

For a better understanding of the invention, as well as other objectsand features thereof, reference is made to the following detaileddescription to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,wherein like components in the several views are identified by thereference numerals.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a loose-leaf display book and easelstructure in accordance with the invention, the book being shown in itsclosed condition.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the closed book.

FIG. 3 shows the book opened, but with the easel retracted.

FIG. 4 shows the opened book with the easel erected, as seen from thefront.

3,210,094 Patented Oct. 5, 1965 FIG. 5 shows the opened book with theeasel erected, as seen from the rear; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of the opened book with the easel erected.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the book is illustrated in its closedcondition, and it will be seen that it has the appearance of aconventional ring binder. When the book is opened, as indicated in FIG.3, the appearance is still conventional, the book comprising a coverassembly, generally designated by numeral 10, a three ring holder strip11 and a plurality of loose-leaf pages 12 bound by the rings.

It is to be understood that while a ring binder is disclosed, theinvention is in no way limited thereto and the principles of theinvention are applicable to spiral, bound books and to other formssuitable for display purposes. The book pages for example may beconstituted by transparent jackets for receiving and protecting datasheets. i

The cover assembly 10, as best seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 is in the formof a folder having an outer cover component constituted by a spine 13having front and back cover panels 14 and 15, hingedly connectedthereto, and a similarly constructed inner or false cover componentcomposed of a spine 16 and front and back cover panels 17 and 18. Thefold line 19 between the two cover components lies at the bottom of thebook. In practice the cover assembly 10 may be fabricated of pressboardplates covered by fabric, plastic or simulated leather sheeting.

The ring strip 11 is attached only to the spine 16 of the false innercover, so that the inner cover may be lifted to occupy an inclinedposition relative to the outer cover when the outer cover lies on atable or other book support.

Interposed between the inner and outer cover components are a pair ofself-erecting rectangular flaps 20 and 21 of rigid material, providedrespectively with leg strips 20a and 21a hingedly connected thereto. Theleg strip 20a is attached by rivets 22 to the inner cover panel 17, thestrip lying parallel to the upper edge of the panel, Leg strip 21a issimilarly attached to inner cover panel 18.

As best seen in FIG. 6, the opposing ends of flap 20 and strip 20a areinterconnected by an elastic band 23 under tension, whereas the same endof flap 20 is linked by a stop cord 24- to an intermediate point oninner cover panel 17. The length of cord 24 is such that it permits theelastic band 23 to raise flap 20 to a position normal to outer coverpanel 14. Panel 12 is similarly provided with an elastic band 25, and astop cord (not shown).

The elastic strength of the bands 23 and 25 is insufficient to overcomethe pressure exerted on the flaps by the weight of the inner cover andthe pages when the flaps lie sandwiched between the inner and outercovers. However when the book is opened and the inner cover is raisedsufficiently to release the flaps, the flaps are snapped into positionby their elastic bands, and when the inner cover is then lowered, theerected flaps act as struts to maintain the desired book inclination.

To retract the flaps, one has merely to push the flaps inwardly againstthe tension of the elastic bands to return the flaps to their sandwichposition between the covers, the weight of the false cover holding theflaps in place.

While there has been shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, itis to be understood that many changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the essential features of the invention,as set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A book and easel structure comprising a cover assembly constituted by afolder having inner and outer cover components each having a spine andfront and back panels hingedly connected thereto, a plurality of pagesbound to the spine of the inner cover to provide a book, the fold lineof said folder being at the lower edge of said book, and two flapssandwiched between said components and hingedly connected to the frontand back panels of said inner component adjacent the upper edge of saidbook, an elastic band connected between the free end of each flap and apoint adjacent the upper edge of the associated panel to erect said flapautomatically when 10 said inner component is lifted relative to saidouter component as said outer component rests on a horizontal surface,and a stop cord linking said free end of said flap to an intermediatepoint on said associated panel to limit the movement of said flap to aposition normal to the outer cover component.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JEROME SCHNALL,Primary Examiner. G. S. BREHM, LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiners.

1. A BOOK AND ESEL STRUCTURE COMPRISING A COVER ASSEMBLY CONSTITUTED BYA FOLDER HAVING INNER AND OUTER COVER COMPONENTS EACH HAVING A SPIND ANDFRONT AND BACK PANELS HINGEDLY CONNECTED THERETO, A PLURALITY OF PAGESBOUND TO THE SPIND OF THE INNER COVER TO PROVIDE A BOOK, THE FOLD LINEFO SAID FOLDER BEING AT THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID BOOK, AND TWO FLAPSSANDWICHED BETWEEN SAID COMPONENTS AND HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE FRONTAND BACK PANELS OF SAID INNER COMPONENT ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE OF SAIDBOOK, AN ELASTIC BAND CONNECTED BETWEEN THE FREE END OF EACH FLAP AND APOINT ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE OF THE ASSOCIATED PANEL TO ERECT SAID FLAPAUTOMATICALLY WHEN SAID INNER COMPONENT IS LIFTED RELATIVE TO SAID OUTERCOMPONENT AS SAID OUTER COMPONENT RESTS ON A HORIZONTAL SURFACE, AND ASTOP CORD LINKING SAID FREE END OF SAID FLAP TO AN INTERMEDIATE POINT ONSAID ASSOCIATED PANEL TO LIMIT THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FLAP TO A POSITIONNORMAL TO THE OUTER COVER COMPONENT.